On Thursday, President Joe Biden outlined his new federal vaccine requirements for as many as 100 million Americans, Associated Press reported. Many Republican leaders believe Biden has gone too far.
The rules mandate that all employers with more than 100 workers require them to be vaccinated or test for the virus weekly. Also, the 17 million workers at health facilities that receive federal Medicare or Medicaid will have to be fully vaccinated.
Governor Kay Ivey said in a statement, “Once again, President Biden has missed the mark. His outrageous, overreaching mandates will no doubt be challenged in the courts. Placing more burdens on both employers and employees during a pandemic with the rising inflation rates and lingering labor shortages is totally unacceptable.
“Alabamians have stepped up by rolling up their sleeves to get the covid-19 vaccine, increasing our doses administered significantly in recent weeks. We have done so without mandates from Washington D.C. or Montgomery,” Ivey continued. I’ve made it abundantly clear: I support the science and encourage folks taking the vaccine. However, I am absolutely against a government mandate on the vaccine, which is why I signed the vaccine passport ban into law here in Alabama. This is not the role of the government. I continue encouraging any Alabamian who can, to get the covid-19 vaccine. We have a safe and effective tool at our fingertips, so, let’s roll up our sleeves and get this thing beat.”
According to the CDC, more than 177 million Americans are fully vaccinated against the coronavirus. However, confirmed cases have shot up in recent weeks to an average of about 140,000 per day with on average about 1,000 deaths.
